As we reported earlier, Alvaro visited the Gala del Deporte in Toledo yesterday to present the sports prizes to young athletes, together with Julian Simon. The attending journalists of course did not let that opportunity slide to get a quick interview with Alvaro about his first season in MotoGP.

“It was difficult”, said Bati, “but also very positive, because I gained a lot of experience and in the future this will help me. Even though the injury [when he broke his collarbone in motocross training] lost me several races and getting to know the bike better, I am satisfied, because in the last GPs we finished most of the races among the Top 10 and we also got two 5th places. So it was a good year, despite the injury, because we came back strong in the final part of the season. It helped me that I got to know the bike better, that the team knew what I needed to go fast and now we have to see if Suzuki can develop a more competitive bike.”

Next year Alvaro will be the sole rider for Suzuki and can’t rely on the help of his former teammate Loris Capirossi anymore to develop the bike.For him this has good and negative sides. “When we have new parts and there is a lot to test, then it always goes slower with only one rider. But at the same time Suzuki now puts all the focus on me and will try to improve the things I ask for. For me this has more positive than negative points.”

Looking forward to the next season, Alvaro mused that “the expectations will be different, because I have more knowledge, more experience and more references and at the moment, in the first official test of the preseason, things were very positive. We tested a lot of new things and we did well, we were much closer to the first positions. My aim will be to improve my feeling from last season and we’ll see if I can ride without injuries at 100% and improve myself.”

A helpful factor in it all is the treatment by Suzuki. “We are a good family. When I came into the team, I knew it was not the best bike, but I always had faith in the factory and they treated me exceptionally well from the first day on and I managed to finish in front of my teammate. Suzuki is very motivated, they work very hard, like me, though it’s not as easy as it might seem, but it’s clear that I have faith in them and they have faith in me.”

Source: La Tribuna de Talavera

The Rizla Suzuki squad and Álvaro Bautista have concluded the final day of testing at Valencia with a very encouraging result as Bautista recorded the seventh quickest time of the day.

Bautista (1’32.738, 86 laps) took almost a second off his previous best lap-time from both the race weekend and yesterday’s testing, as he moved to just over half-of-a-second off the quickest time of the day. The Spaniard tested various chassis configurations and several settings, along with evaluating new bodywork for the Suzuki GSV-R and numerous other parts in a thorough and comprehensive test programme. The whole team got through a significant amount of work and with the information collected at this two-day test, the engineers back in Japan will certainly have plenty to work with during the winter months.

Today’s weather was very similar to yesterday with strong winds and cold track temperatures making conditions very difficult. Casey Stoner on a Honda was the quickest rider on the timesheets, with World Champion Jorge Lorenzo in second, but Bautista certainly had them in his sights as he improved continuously throughout the day.

Rizla Suzuki, Bautista and the rest of the MotoGP paddock will now face an enforced winter testing ban that begins on December 1st and ends on January 31st. The next test will be at Sepang in Malaysia in early February, with the 2011 season due to kick-off at Losail in Qatar on Sunday 20th March.

Álvaro Bautista: “Today has been another good day because after testing the new forks yesterday and getting a good base setting, I was able to go straight out and improve my lap-time. We continued through the day to test other stuff and I tried a new frame with new specifications, and I quickly felt it was much better than the old one. That means that we have made a step forward and with it I was able to do my best time. At the end of the day I tested some new compound Bridgestone tyres, there were three different styles, but I didn’t feel much difference between them all. I am happy because the whole crew has done a good job today and I want to say thank-you to Suzuki because I think we made steps forward at this test and with the data from here I hope they can bring me some more new and better stuff from Japan for the test in February.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:
“It has been a very positive end to what has been a difficult season. We found a decent step forward yesterday compared to the race weekend and took more steps forward today. We have found something, based on today’s data at least, that may help Álvaro get the best out of the GSV-R on new tyres, which has been a weak point for us this year both in qualifying and in the first few laps of the races. We all know that he is a race-day guy and not a testing guy and that he always finds additional performance in the races themselves. So, for him to end up in seventh place and only 0.6 seconds from the fastest rider is a very positive result.

“Thanks to everyone involved with the team throughout 2010, hopefully today’s test will enable the Factory to have some interesting material prepared for the test in February and we can continue to take the next step forward.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Rizla Suzuki began its preparations for 2011 at Valencia in Spain with a constructive first day at the post-season test which saw Álvaro Bautista post the eighth fastest time.

Bautista (1’33.558, 44 laps) set about his testing duties with the same professional and thorough manner he has shown throughout his rookie season. He tested many new and re-designed parts for the Suzuki GSV-R and – although a big part of the day was lost to rain – he managed to improve on his times continually despite conditions being considerably worse than the race weekend due to strong winds blowing across the circuit.

Bautista was able to compare a range of two specifications of Öhlins front forks, new rear swing arm, different settings and various other items in the time that was available. The whole team finished the day in a very positive frame of mind and all eager to continue with the test tomorrow.

The blustery weather that blew across the 4,005m Valencian track made things difficult for all riders and was even responsible for one being blown off line and into the gravel! The fastest time of the day was set by World Champion and last weekend’s race winner Jorge Lorenzo.

Rizla Suzuki has one more day at Valencia tomorrow to continue with the evaluation of the Suzuki GSV-R in readiness for next season, before the winter testing ban comes in to force at the end of this month.

Álvaro Bautista: “Today we have had a good test even though we lost some time due to the rain. We started with the base setting from the race so we could get the feeling of the track, it was a bit different out there because there was less grip and it was very windy, this made it more difficult to ride than during the weekend. We tested two different front forks and one felt the same as the ones I’d used in the race, but the other one was much better overall. It helped me in the mid-corner braking, because it gave me more confidence to release the brake than it had done before and this gave me more speed so I could exit better. I also tested a new swinging arm, it was not a big difference but it also helped a little. I am very happy with the first day because I’ve done close to my best time and the conditions were much worse than in qualifying. I’m looking forward to tomorrow because we have more things to test.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:
“Álvaro and the team have completed a very solid first day’s work and given that the conditions were worse than race day, we can be pleased with the relative performance as well. We’ve struggled to generate grip and feedback in colder conditions and the track temperature was right down today, so this is also a step in the right direction. We’ve got roughly the same volume of work to get through tomorrow, so fingers crossed that the weather will remain good enough to get things done properly and we can take some more steps forward, before Alvaro and the team get a little down-time at the end of a long season.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

What has been a rumour for some time now has been officially confirmed by Suzuki today. Below is the press release from Suzuki.

Suzuki Motor Corporation wishes to thank all customers and race fans who supported the Suzuki MotoGP Team in 2010.

With the experience and knowledge gained in 2010 the Suzuki MotoGP Team will move forward with great passion and effort in search of glory in 2011.

The Suzuki MotoGP Team will participate in 2011 with a single rider, Alvaro Bautista. Alvaro joined the team in 2010 and made good progress with GSV-R, the Suzuki Grand Prix machine, improving his results throughout the season.

Suzuki will continue to make the best use of the short time to the start of the 2011 MotoGP season to develop the GSV-R machine for this, the pinnacle class of motorcycle racing, and we thank all Suzuki customers and race fans for their continued support.

Rizla Suzuki’s Álvaro Bautista produced the ride of his rookie season at Valencia today to bring his Suzuki GSV-R home in the top-10 after starting from last on the grid.

Bautista and his Crew Chief Tom O’Kane made some big changes to his machine for the morning’s warm-up session and the Spanish rider soon reaped the benefits. As the first few laps unfolded there was no evidence of what was to come as he only made up a couple of places – one of which was due to another rider crashing. By lap 19 Bautista had caught a group of four riders, all of whom were battling for eighth place and the impressive Spaniard quickly passed each one of them in the next few laps to move to the front of the pack. Bautista was then constantly challenged for his position as the riders swapped places in the closing stages, but unfortunately he just couldn’t hold off Hector Barbera in the final lap. He still managed to bring his bike home in a commendable ninth place, to the applause of the whole team.

Loris Capirossi had another torrid afternoon, as the Italian retired from the race with a mysterious problem at the end of the 13th lap. Up until that point Capirossi had battled hard to make a couple of passes and move up to 14th place, with the riders in front still well in touch. Sadly he had to come back to the pits to signal the end of the race for him, in what was his last appearance for the team. Capirossi was visibly saddened by the way the race ended, but paid tribute to all at Suzuki for three good years together.

Today’s race was held in dry but cloudy conditions with track temperatures getting up to 27°C. A crowd of 80,774 spectators were treated to a thrilling race all the way through the field, with home favourite and new World Champion Jorge Lorenzo yet again showing his dominance with another victory, his ninth of the season.

Rizla Suzuki will now stay at Valencia for a two-day test programme on Tuesday and Wednesday. This will be the only post-season test, with the winter ban due to start on the first of December and continue until the start of February next year.

Álvaro Bautista: “After having such a difficult weekend with all the problems on Friday and Saturday, today has been a big step for us. This morning in warm-up we went back to a setting that I used in the last races and it quickly felt a little bit better, it wasn’t a big difference but I thought it would be good for the race. I wanted to give my maximum in the race and give the team the best result possible today. I had a normal start and made up one position straight away, but then I was behind Loris and I lost some time because he brakes so late and is difficult to pass. When I got past him I pushed to my limit and I got in to a good rhythm – the best I’ve had all weekend. I caught the group fighting for eighth and I finished ninth at the end, but it was a great battle with the others because I managed to overtake them all and it was good fun. Before the race started if someone said I could finish ninth I would have signed for that, but after the battle with Hector I am disappointed because I think I could have been eighth! It is a good result for the whole team after a hard weekend, but it is not the result I expected before I came to Valencia because I came with the mental attitude to finish in the top-five. Now that we have finished the season we know we have many things that we need to improve on the bike and I also need to improve my riding style, so we have a very hard winter ahead of us – I hope to get to the first race next season with the bike better than it was this year. I will also have more experience so I expect to improve on my results next season.

“I would like to the thank Suzuki, all the team, Rizla and all the other sponsors, because if they didn’t help us it would be impossible for us to be racing, so thank-you to all of them. Next year we will certainly be trying even harder and I really believe we can be competitive!”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:
“For me Álvaro’s ninth place was the ride of his season, from 17th – and last – on the grid, then to climb through the field and consistently set lap-times – that if he’d started in the top eight – would have seen him battling for fifth was just superb. Qualifying has been our Achilles heel all year, but we really didn’t have the performance in the bike on Friday and Saturday to challenge the other guys, so for Álvaro to take a leap-of-faith today and make such massive improvements was impressive and more importantly very encouraging for 2011. We are now looking forward to the test this week with a lot more optimism, but before that he certainly deserves a beer tonight for his efforts today and I’d like to thank him and all his guys for bringing a breath of fresh air to the team this year!”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Rizla Suzuki goes in to the final Grand Prix of the season looking to end the year moving forward after a tough qualifying session left the riders with plenty of work for tomorrow’s race.

Álvaro Bautista (P17, 1’33.515, 23 laps) has so far had a weekend to forget at Valencia, as he has struggled to get the grip levels he wants to help him on the 4,005m circuit. He will work with his crew this evening to assess the data in the hope that a new setting they are planning to try in tomorrow’s warm-up will assist him for the race.

Today’s qualifying session was held in clear and dry conditions with the air temperatures reaching 22°C. The fastest lap of the day was set by Ducati’s Casey Stoner, as the Australian took his fourth pole position of the season.

Tomorrow’s 30-lap race will be the curtain closer to the 2010 season and the main event will get underway at 14.00hrs local time (13.00hrs GMT).

Álvaro Bautista: “It has turned into a difficult weekend so far and I feel like I am struggling with the bike. I’m having the most problems with the exit from the corner, but we have improved the GSV-R since yesterday as we have tried to get more grip and less movement form the bike. This afternoon it was still difficult and at the end of qualifying I was only really concentrating on the exit of the corners, more than I was on making a fast entry, so this made it very hard to be competitive. I’ve improved on my best time here, but it is still not enough. In warm-up we are going to try a new setting to help me with the rear of the bike and see what happens. We must work very hard and if tomorrow morning we find something better we will certainly use it in the race. It is going to be hard, because we will start form the last position – the only good thing about that is that I can only finish better than I start!”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Rizla Suzuki’s Álvaro Bautista just missed out on 10th place at the Portuguese Grand Prix today as the rain that had plagued the race weekend finally relented to allow a dry race.

Starting from 14th on the grid, Bautista got a good start and by lap five he had moved up in 10th position. As the race wore on he got involved in a battle with Hector Barbera and Hiroshi Aoyama, which saw the three swap places regularly. Bautista fought to the line, but was just unable to get past Barbera in the closing metres and finished a mere 0.187 seconds behind his countryman to claim 11th position.

Today’s weather was a marked contrast from what had previously been experienced at the Portuguese circuit as the heavy rain that had caused the cancellation of yesterdays qualifying gave way to windy, but sunny conditions. World title holder Jorge Lorenzo produced a champion’s performance in front of a crowd of just over 40,000 to win the race by over eight seconds from his nearest rival.

Rizla Suzuki will now travel directly to Valencia in Spain for the final round of the season next weekend, with both riders hoping to put today’s difficult race firmly behind them and finish the season on a positive note.

Álvaro Bautista: “I feel very disappointed because I just didn’t expect this result here. I know the weekend has been very strange, because we only rode in dry conditions in the race, but before I came here I thought we would have a good performance. When I started the race I quickly realised I couldn’t get a good rhythm because I didn’t seem to have much grip in the front or rear tyres and on the straights I also had a problem with the bike being very unstable – I even had to close the throttle sometimes because I couldn’t control the bike properly. I fought for a position in the top-10, but I also had a bit of a problem with braking hard and that made it very difficult to overtake other riders. I hope that next week we can finish the season with a good result to make up for today’s disappointment.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:
“Going straight into the race with no dry practice at all was always going to throw up some interesting results, but unfortunately we definitely needed some dry running to get the bike working properly. The biggest problem for both riders today was stability, which was not helped by the strong cross winds down the main straight, but our competitors didn’t seem to have the same trouble at all. Álvaro fought hard – as always – but we couldn’t give him a good enough tool for the job today and we’ll be hoping that we can improve things in Valencia and he can finish his season as strongly as his potential has shown in the last few races.

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Horrendous weather conditions with rain coming sideways, strong wind and thunderstorms made the first practice session a mission impossible for the MotoGP riders.
Only three riders actually went out of track with Hiroshi Aoyama being the only rider of the field to do a whole lap and posting a laptime, making him the first and only rider in the final FP1 standings.

Alvaro did put his rainsuit on, but with deep puddles and standing water on the track, caution was the biggest concern for most of the riders and they stayed in their boxes.